Losing My Freedom
by ichigo711
Summary: The winter war is over and the Soul Society notices that shinigami working in Rukongai have been mysteriously disappearing. Could this be a sign that unhappy people living there may start a dangerous uprising? Does one girl, found in the aftermath of an attack on a poor town, hold the answers to what is happening? Story based on an OC character. Full summary inside.
1. Summary

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I own the characters that I made, but alas, I don't and never will own any of the original characters._

This takes place after the winter war is over.

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Full Summary;

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Another day another dollar. Captain Commander Yamamoto's work day was just about over. He restacked his papers, tapping them on the desk to realign them, when an unopened envelope slid out. He raised an eyebrow, and sighed picking it up and carefully opening it up.

'_Sigh, It appears I missed a note. It's going to be another long night._'

He unfolded the paper and began to read.

"Soul Society Special Information Center – All following information has been confirmed and approved by up to date standards.

Case #0028563A – Mysterious disappearances in Rukongai

"The number of overall hollow attacks has been increasing in Rukongai. Whenever a single or small group of Shinigami are sent to investigate after an attack, they either disappear, or are found dead. After companies 4 and 12 of the _Gotei Court Guard Companies_ have performed full autopsies on a few of the bodies, it could be determined that most of the assigned shinigami, as well as a few residents of Rukongai, were killed by a source other than the standard hollows.

Based on all studies and observations, we suspect that there are either bandits leading the attacks, or insubordination within towns of Rukongai. The latter would be a much more serious case than mere bandits. Insubordination could mean that common people living in Rukongai are unsatisfied with the rule of Seireitei and Central 46. In that case, special precautions will need to be taken to prevent a full scale Rebellion."

Best regards

~ Soul Society Special Information Center"


	2. Intro

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

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I came to Soul Society like any other being from the world of the living. Randomly appearing in a district of Rukongai without any family or memories of the past. Where exactly in Rukongai I started out in, I can't really recall, but it couldn't have been that bad of a place; I remember seeing smiling faces as I made my way through the towns.

I traveled a lot, always going from place to place in search of something I didn't know I was looking for. Maybe in search of nothing at all.

It was easy to tell that I was making my way toward worse off towns of higher digits. I could tell from the increasing number of bandits. There, people seemed to have abandoned all but their most primal human instincts. Most had blood stained hands of killers. That must have been why I eventually strayed from public trails and hid out in the surrounding forests of Soul Society. At first, I was afraid of the "Monsters" and "Man-eating beasts" that villagers warned their children of, but it got to the point where I figured the murderous humans were far more dangerous than any creature that I might happen upon in a forest.

After a while, I learned to adjust to the lifestyle. I much preferred the way that life was in the forests compared to districts known for poverty. I never did find any of the rumored monsters. Not any that were as deadly as people said that they were anyways. By then, I became aware of one crucial fact of life. People make "humanity" out to be a term that was synonymous to virtues such as "empathy", "forgiveness" and the ability to make "sacrifices", but a certain man once told me that those concepts were laughable, as the most pure, raw form of "humanity" is providing for one's self. Ensuring your own survival is the most basic notion that people run on, and it's what they default back to when there is nothing left in the world for them. When they can't afford that deceptively beautiful mask to hide behind.

I knew how people killed each other for land. Fighting over food. Resources. To exercise their Authority… For fun. It was hard, and I was still pretty young to bear witness to any of that kind or corruption, but the sad thing was, I wasn't alone. Any soul, be it man woman or even child, who was unlucky enough to find themselves in these districts would be forced into a world where every day they would watch people being killed, or people stealing things, or people starving to death on the side of the road. Trying to forget was one of the escapes I found early on. Ignorance really is bliss, and that's why I hid myself away in the forest.

While I was away from all humanity, it was easy to forget just how corrupt everything really was. I could easily pretend that all the killing and suffering had stopped, but every time I walked out into the populated areas of Rukongai, I would be reminded.

Where was the law and order in this land? In times of doubt I often told myself "Seireitei is the peace keeping center of Soul Society. Surely the Shinigami will protect us!" In hindsight, it's easy to see that I was foolish for thinking that was the case. Even the Shinigami are, in essence, human. Humans who take advantage of the weak in order to gain their own strength and power. Once I fully accepted this idea, I never lived on the false belief that "The good guys always win in the end." In any case, I still couldn't bring myself to hate humans in general. After all, we all suffered through this together, and all without choice.

Once, during another average day's events, I was found stealing food from a man, and he caught me and beat me to the edge of my life. I couldn't do anything to protect myself. I was weak. I was only able to call out for help. I waited for the help of a Shinigami. I believed I would be saved, because it was their job to save people. I waited, and waited, but no help ever came. After that ordeal, I knew I had to become stronger. I told myself that I wouldn't let myself become fuel for the strong. After that encounter, in my mind the Shinigami just became people who got credit for a job they didn't do. The shinigami didn't care about us. If they had, they would have done something by now. Maybe, they would have shown up that day. In some sort of cruel, ironic twist of events, that strong feeling of wanting to elevate myself above the shinigami was one of the things that helped motivate me enough to gain my own Zanpakuto.

Around that time, I found the people that I would call my family, and they helped me become stronger. None of us were actually related, but we were able to see eye-to-eye about the issues that soul society was facing. Most importantly though, they readily accepted me for who and what I was. They each had their own stories and reasons for coming together, and I grew to love them. Living in the forest with my makeshift family offered me freedom that I knew I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else.

I didn't need the help of a shinigami when I had these people.

.

Actually, there is a part of my story that I didn't tell you about…

It's a dark memory that I purposely left out, but I guess it's important that you know.

It all happened before I met my family, on an evening in a forest clearing. I was able to sense the presence of shinigami nearby, so out of curiosity I approached them until they were all in clear view, but I kept myself hidden. A strange scene unfolded in front of me.

There were several shinigami unconscious on the floor, and another shinigami, a man with square frame glasses and wavy chestnut brown hair, looking over them with a twisted grin on his face. The fallen shinigami all let out screams of agony as white masks began to materialize on their faces.

I winced as a sharp pain pulsed through my body, and crumbled to the ground with fear. Before I let myself witness any more, I ran. I ran until the soles of my feet bled and my legs felt they would give out. I don't remember clearly what happened after that, but I do remember all the emotions I was feeling. I was scared, I was confused, and I was angry. Why would a shinigami take advantage of his own kind like that? That was the moment when I lost all faith in the ones that I once believed would save us all. A feeling of rage and despair that I had never felt before bubbled up from the bottom of my soul, and I snapped. My body felt like it was on fire, and my vision went from clear, to red, and then slowly faded to black. I don't know what happened after that; I guess I passed out, but I know that when I woke up, I was never able to look at things the same way again. It's been 100 years since then, but that day left a scar on my soul that can still be seen today.

My name is Haruka Takani, and this is the story about how I lost my freedom to a death god.


	3. pre-story

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

_._

**-story start-**

The rest of the battle was a blur. Just one big mass of swirling colors and the sound of yelling and labored breath coming from every direction. She ran in whatever way that instinct told her to flee to, and swung her sword without giving it a second thought. She couldn't think; she didn't have time to think. Her body acted on its own with only one goal in mind.

Stay alive.

When it was over, she stood exposed on shaking legs in the center of a place that looked like hell. She was unable to identify if the bodies surrounding her were those of her friends or enemies. She collapsed to her knees and tried to calm her still erratic heartbeat. Her mind was fuzzy as she laid face down on the bloody dirt, but there were a few important thoughts that she was able to process.

She wondered where the others were. Where they still fighting? Where they also injured? . . . Where they alive? She pondered a bit longer on those troubling thoughts, her eyelids growing heavy. In the end, she resolved that she would find her friends in the morning.

For now she would allow herself to sleep.


	4. Part 01

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

**.**

**Part 01**

"What? Another captains meeting?"

"Yes apparently there been another attack. This time it was in the 72nd district of Rukongai, and I heard that it was much worse than the smaller ones that have been occurring lately." explained the captain of squad 13. "This seems to be becoming a serious problem seeing how often it's been happening recently, but I'm curious to know just what the head captain thinks we should do."

"I suppose we gotta figure out what's going on with all the hollows and stuff." said the captain of the 8th company. "Ya know, there are rumors that some of the wild animals are actually becoming hollows. In any case, I guess I can't skip out on this meeting. I wish the old man wouldn't keep calling us in when I'm taking a nap."

"Maybe how often you take naps has something to do with that issue." Ukitake sighed. "Just make sure you start heading towards the meeting room soon. You don't want to be late."

. - . - . - . - . - . - .

The old man at the front of the room didn't say a single word until each of the other twelve captains were orderly arranged into their usual two rows. It wasn't captain Shunsui that was last to arrive, but captain Zaraki (who blamed his delayed arrival on the fact that the streets Seireitei were too difficult to navigate). Upon the late captains' arrival, Genryusai Yamamoto loudly cleared his throat and began to speak in a gruff voice.

"It has come to my attention that the recent attacks in the districts of Rukongai have increased in both size and frequency. It has been decided that we, the 13 court guard squads are to take further action and send advanced personnel to investigate before the situation becomes worse.

"I will be assigning captain of squad 10, Toshiro Hitsugaya, to go into the 72nd district and ask around to see what people know about the attacks. Additionally, I will be sending captain of the 6th company to investigate the scene of the attack. Byakuya Kuchiki, you are to bring your sister and record anything that seems suspicious. Should you find any survivors, you are to bring them to the 4th division barracks to receive medical treatment immediately. We need them alive so that we may question them later. You are also to slay remaining hollows or other creatures that seem threatening, should you encounter any. The rest of you will keep order and standby for any further orders that may need to be carried out. Are there any questions?"

"My sister, Rukia, will not be able to accompany me on this mission. She is at home getting over a sickness." Byakuya calmly informed the commander.

"Very well. In that case I shall have the captain of the 12th company go with you on this mission." Yamamoto stated. "Now if that is all then you are dismissed. I expect the assigned officers to head out immediately."


	5. Part 02

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I own the characters that I made, but alas, I don't and never will own any of the original characters._

**.**

**Part 02**

That evening, the captain of the 10th company, Hitsugaya Toshiro, could be found at his assigned post with his vice captain, Matsumoto Rangiku. They were questioning what people hadn't locked themselves inside their own homes out of fear. They took note that some of the smaller buildings near the crime scene had been trampled by the attackers, but other than that, the small town didn't receive heavy damage. Most of the destruction was done further out in the fields, along the edge of the forest. That was the area that captain Kuchiki and captain Kurotsuchi were ordered to investigate.

Byakuya had just started wondering the fields when he began to pick up a small trickle of Reiatsu. He continued to thoroughly search but he found no survivors. There were about four human bodies, bloody and torn to ribbons, and some animal carcasses. Nothing alive in sight, yet he still felt that strange flicker of spirit energy. He reasoned that it must have been traces of energy that had been left by an animal turned hollow, and so he continued to search for clues or survivors, or anything that could help reveal the events.

After about two hours or so, the sun began sinking lower in the sky. Byakuya had been unable to find anything significant so he decided that it was just about time to head back. Then he suddenly remembered something; He was supposed to be working with Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Come to think of it, Byakuya hadn't seen the bizarre captain of squad 12 since they first started searching. Byakuya faintly remembered Kurotsuchi saying something about looking around the forest. He quietly sighed to himself as he began making his way to the edge of the forest to find the other captain.

Captain Kuchiki was leisurely walking towards the end of the field when he suddenly heard the faint clang of metal. He looked down and shifted on his feet slightly. He cautiously removed his foot from where it was placed to see something silver gleaming in the rich orange light of the setting sun. He began to kick away the dirt covering the buried object until he could make the shape. It was a katana.

He swiftly picked it up and examined the sword closer, sweeping off the remaining dust with his hand. His eyes narrowed with realization of what it was that he had unearthed. It wasn't the type of sword that you could just forge out of either cheap metals and sell in a shop. No, any shinigami with at least a small amount of reiatsu would be able to feel the spirit living within the weapon. It was the type of sword that came directly from ones very soul. A Zanpakuto.

The Zanpakuto that captain Kuchiki had found gave him the impression that a shinigami has lost it at the time of the attack. If that was true, they only needed to find him or her and ask about what had happened. An easy task, if they only knew where that person was. Byakuya closed his eyes and focused his spiritual energy on trying to track the owner of the unsheathed sword. The first thing he was able to sense was kurotsuki's spirit energy, but Byakuya also still vaguely felt the presence of another. He furrowed his brow in deep concentration before momentarily feeling the clear pulse of energy from an unfamiliar shinigami. It was weak, but it was there. Knowing that the very light stream of reiatsu came from someone who seemed to be injured, Byakuya flash-stepped to its source.


	6. Part 03

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

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**Part 03**

Byakuya arrived at the scene quite shocked at what he saw, though his cold poker face didn't show it. There was a pile of two or three people carelessly stacked on top of each other on one side, and on the other, Mayuri was crouching on the ground with his back to Byakuya. Mayuri didn't seem to notice Byakuyas arrival, and he continued to fiddle with whatever it was he had found. Byakuya took a heavy step forward, purposely making noise so that his presence would be noticed. Instead of turning and making any sign of acknowledgement, Mayuri simply sighed.

"The ones on the left are all dead. They have no clues, I already checked. One of them had a knife, but that's about it. It's already getting dark. Let's just go back before it gets cold."

Byakuya immediately noticed the disregarding tone in the other captains' voice, and strolled over to see just what he was so preoccupied with. Byakuya's eyes widened a fraction as he came to stand before Mayuri's still crouching form, and saw what he was dealing with. Laying on the floor in front of the captain of the 12th, was an unconscious girl. Despite the fact that the girl was insufficiently clothed; her garments torn and sliced so they were hanging off her form in several places, the sight of her was far from erotic. Her body was covered in bruises and dried blood making it hard to tell the extent of her injuries. Her long, jet-black hair was a mess, and dirt stuck to her face. The sight of her was not one for those of weak stomach. Byakuya knew at once that she was the source of the spiritual pressure he had felt earlier.

This one is still alive." Mayuri stated as he scooped the girl up with ease, slung her over his shoulder, and began walking out of the forest.

"Where are you going?" Byakuya asked, clearly not trusting the captain and head of the research and development board.

"I thought I just told you, I'm going back. Oh, and don't worry about the girl. I'm going to take her to my lab. She will get treatment for her wounds there, and then I can run a few tests to figure out wha-"

"I can't let you do that. We were given orders to take the survivors to the fourth for treatment, then directly to the head captain." Byakuya cut in, his voice deep and serious.

"But I'm sure you can feel it too. The reiatsu I mean. It's definitely weak, but it feels strange somehow. I know for a fact that the captain commander will notice this and ask us if we know anything about it, so why don't you just let me run a couple of tests and get our answers beforehand?" Mayuri asked clearly trying to hide his impatience.

"The girl might be one of our Shinigami." Stated while holding up the Zanpakuto he found. "Look over there where you found her. There's the sheath to this sword. It must either belong to her, or someone she knows. As for the strange spiritual energy, It's safe to assume it's just traces from whatever attacked her. In any case, we were given direct orders on what to do and we will follow those orders." Byakuya said without missing a beat. "Go take the girl to the fourth division for medical treatment. I will hear no more of your excuses."

Mayuri was now boiling with anger. He hated the air of superiority in Byakuya's voice, and how he was practically controlling the situation where he had no right to. After all, who found the girl? Who was now holding her in his possession? Mayuri felt he had every right to call the shots, yet Byakuya still had the nerve to boss him around like a dirty slave.

"What makes you think you have the right to give me orders?!" Mayuri snapped loudly at the other captain.

At the sudden commotion, the girl, still slumped over Mayuri's shoulder, regained consciousness. Actuating quickly on instinct she struggled to break free from Mayuri's grasp before finally delivering him a solid kick to the crotch. Mayuri let out a strange yelp partly between pain and surprise as he collapsed to the floor. Byakuya almost laughed at the sight of the 12th division captain, how he was curled into the fetal position on the floor after being attacked by a weak, injured girl.

Byakuya, thinking quickly, scanned the area, offering no help to the other captain, who was slowly starting to recover. The girl had made a run for it, and was gone.

He was no doctor, but Byakuya could tell by the looks of the girl's condition that she wouldn't be able to get very far. He focused his spirit energy again and was able to quickly locate the direction that she had escaped to. Using flash step, he was able to catch up to her in a matter of a few seconds. The girl came to a sudden halt upon seeing that Byakuya had appeared in front of her, now blocking her path.

"There's no need to run. We are from the Gotei Quart Guard Squads. We were sent here to find out what is happening and why your village was atta-"

The girl only spent a little while listening to his words before running up to him and throwing a punch. Byakuya's sharp reflexes allowed him to dodge the attack and distance himself from the girl without even breaking a sweat.

"You should take your creepy friend and get out of here. Your help isn't needed or wanted from my comrades or myself. I'm warning you, go away and don't any of you return." The girl spoke, her words having more strength than her body in its current state.

Byakuya calmly answered with "The head captain has given orders to bring back any witnesses for questioning so that we may better understand the situation at hand."

"I have absolutely no intention of going anywhere. Get out of here."

"I see." Byakuya said while still keeping his composure. "Then you leave me with no choice." He noticed the girl flinch before he ran forward and attempted to grab her. Because she had anticipated his move, she was able to dodge his assault and throw a kick aimed for his head. Byakuya used an arm to block her then used flash step to get behind her. Her eyes widened when he disappeared from her vision and she turned her head slightly knowing that he would be behind her. She wasn't able to turn and face him completely before he hit her with enough force to knock her out.

Byakuya gracefully caught her falling body before it hit the floor. By then it was nearing midnight and the air was frigid. Byakuya carried the girl's limp and bloodied form out of the forest and towards the gate to the Seireitei, taking notice that Mayuri was nowhere to be seen. He didn't care enough to go fetch him himself, so Byakuya decided that he would send someone of lower ranking to go look for captain Kurotsuchi if he didn't turn up in a day or two. For now he would just go back without him.


	7. Part 04

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

.

**Part 04**

"Rukia-san? Are you okay? You seem a little dazed." Hanataro asked in a meek voice. "It's late, you should really sleep."

Rukia shook her head upon hearing the concern in the boy's voice. "Sorry, I'm just worried about Nii-sama. It's nearly midnight. I wonder why he's so late... Maybe I should go look for him." She said quietly before breaking out into a fit of coughs. She took a second to recover before talking again in a voice just barely above a whisper "Sorry for keeping you up so late. You really don't have to wait here with me until Nii-sama gets back. I'm fine now, you should rest also."

Hanataro smiled at Rukia's kindness. "It's alright, I normally stay up late. In any case though, you shouldn't go outside. Now that it's winter, it's freezing, and you're already sick. Kuchiki-taicho is strong. He'll be fine. I'm going to stay here with you until he comes back, that's what he hired me for right?"

"But I'm feeling much better now! Nii-sama is being overprotective." Rukia huffed. "I know he's fine, but I'm still a little anxious for some reason. Maybe it's just my imagination."

"Why don't I go make you some tea to help you relax a bit?" Hanataro offered. "It'll help with your cough too."

"Would you? That would be wonderful." Rukia responded with a gentle smile.

"Okay, I'll be back with tea in a second then. Just take it easy Rukia-san." Hanataro gave a shy smile of his own and left the room.

Rukia sat up in her futon and closed her eyes. She sighed peacefully at the silence of the night, unbroken except for the quiet sound of the breeze. Rukia had over-worked herself and ended up coming down with a cold as a result of all of the stress. Even though there was still so much to be done, it had been decided that she would take a few days off. The quiet calm atmosphere of the Kuchiki manor was a sharp contrast to the hectic workplace. Rukia enjoyed the warmth of the room and the gentle scent of tea that was beginning to fill the house. Such peace.

A smile crept onto Rukia's face when she heard the front door slide open and steps started to draw closer to her room. There was a short silence, then a light tap at the door. "Rukia, are you awake?"

"Hai, Nii-Sama. Come in." she replied while hiding her relief of his safe return.

Byakuya slid the door open just enough for him to peek inside. "I regret asking this of you, especially when you are just recovering from illness, but I have a favor to ask of you."

Rukia's eyes noticeably widened. Byakuya hardly ever asked for favors unless it was an important occasion. "Don't worry about me, I'm feeling much better now. What is it you need? I'll do whatever I can to help."

With Byakuya proceeded to slide open the rest of the way, revealing the seemingly lifeless girl he held. Rukia gasped and her hands flew up to cover her agape mouth. "Wha-? Is she…?"

Byakuya gave a short nod. "Just unconscious. I will explain as soon as I find a suitable place to set her down."

Rukia jumped up and ran to her closet. "She can use my spare futon. Just give me a minute to set it up." She said as she quickly set to work. When she was finished, Byakuya laid the girl down on top of the covers.

"She was found at the location of the investigation area in the 72nd district of Rukongai. I was going to take her directly to the 4th division but they are short on staff, and appear to be slow to respond due to the late hour. I assume Yamada Hanataro is still here?"

"H- Hai Nii-Sama! He's in the kitchen making tea. Shall I go get him? This girl looks like she needs immediate medical attention." Rukia frantically sprung back to her feet.

"That will not be necessary at the moment Rukia. This girl's life is not in any danger. Earlier she attempted to attack captain Kurotsuchi and myself and nearly escaped. I was able to stop her before she got away, but despite the look of her, she is still healthy enough to run at an impressive speed."

Rukia twisted her hands nervously. "She was running? And… you stopped her?"

"We need her for questioning. This girl could hold the answers we need. Rest assured that this was the condition we had found her in. I didn't personally deal any of the damage."

Rukia let out a sigh and sank back to the floor. At that moment Rukia's door slid open once more and Hanataro stepped in with a tray of tea. "I heard Kuchiki-taicho return so I brought an extra cup- EHHH?" Hanataro made a surprised squeak and nearly dropped the tea when he saw the bloody girl carefully laid out in front of where Rukia knelt. "What's going on here?!"

"Nii-sama found her. You still have your medical supplies right? Could you take a look at her?"

"Y- Yes! Yes of course!" Hanataro called as he scampered around the room, practically throwing the tea onto a table.

Hanataro cleaned the blood off of the girl and the dirt from her wounds so that he could clearly see the extent of the damage. Rukia sat stiffly nearby on her own futon with her legs folded neatly under her. She quietly observed as Hanataro continued to work. Another one picked up off the streets by Byakuya. Just like her sister and herself. Interesting that he seemed to have a habit of saving stray women from poor towns. Was this girl around the same age as herself? They looked to have similar builds, but then again Rukia might have guessed that someone with a body type like hers might in fact be younger. Well, actually, the girl seemed to be taller, so maybe she was older?

Rukia was broken from her inner ponderings when the door was quietly slid open again. She glanced over and caught sight of Byakuya's back as be started to leave. "Nii-sama." Byakuya paused. "The tea will get cold…" Rukia sputtered, not quite knowing what else to say. She hadn't expected him to just leave in the current situation.

"You drink, then get some rest. It's late Rukia. I am going to prepare the proper compensation for Yamada."

Hanataro's attention was directed upward at the mention of his name. "What…"

"I'll pay you extra for your additional work hours." Byakuya said easily. "I'll be back in an hour to check on your progress." He nodded towards the injured girl.

"Right. Thank you Kuchiki-Taicho." Hanataro gave a small bow.


	8. Part 05

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

.

**Part 05**

Rukia turned over in her futon and glanced at her Chappy wall clock that read the time in pink numbering. 4:30. '_It's still early'_ she thought to herself, letting out a sigh and sluggishly rolling over to her other side. A seated figure caught her eye before she could return to sleep. She groggily sat upright rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Upon identifying that the person seated in her room was just Hanataro, she remembered the events of the night before. She leaned past the un-moving Hanataro and saw the mysterious girl, cleaned and bandaged up but still passed out.

"Hanataro" Rukia whispered. No response.

"Hey, Psst! Hanataro." She tried again more forcefully while poking him in the back.

He gave a jolt and turned to face Rukia.

"…Hey" she greeted.

"Hey…" he seemed to take a second before he actually registered what was going on and responding to her greeting.

She crawled up to sit next to him. "So, you stayed up all night?"

"Hmm…. Is it morning?"

"Well, kind of. If you consider 4:45 to be morning." Rukia shrugged, keeping her voice low as to not wake the sleeping guest.

"Sorry, I guess I fell asleep." Hanataro yawned out.

"It's fine. It seems you worked hard." Rukia reassured while looking at the various medical things that lay out. "By the way, did Nii-sama ever come back?"

Hanataro clumsily jumped to his feet, his face holding a look someplace between shock and horror. "I must have finished and fallen asleep before he returned! This is awful! I have to go report to him right away!"

Hanataro scampered to exit the room, but stopped after opening the door. There was a note labeled with his name on the floor right outside the room. He picked the neatly folded message and returned to his seat. When he unfolded it, a small envelope slid out and he set it aside while he read the message.

"_Your pay is enclosed. Once you have awoken, come to my office to discuss the matters at hand. If you can't navigate your way, ask a maid or other employee for direction._

_-Kuchiki Byakuya_"

Hanataro let out a breath of relief at knowing he didn't seem to be in any trouble. "Kuchiki-taicho can sure be a nice guy. Thank goodness."

"He can be nice when he wants to be, I suppose." Rukia acknowledged.

"Well it must be nice to have someone as respected as him as your brother. You probably never have to worry about being bullied or picked on. I have an older brother, but nobody ever talks about him. Maybe he wasn't liked when he worked for the Gotei, and that's why I get bullied so often." Hanataro wondered out loud.

"Me? Never being bullied? Did you forget about Renji? That brute has picked on me for as long as I can remember." She replied with a grunt.

Hanataro smiled at her words. "Well at least Abarai-fukutaicho teases you out of affection."

"I- I never thought of it that way…" she said feeling her face heat up ever so slightly. Rukia, starting to feel uncomfortable with the subject quickly drew attention in a different direction.

"So, how's she doing?" she gestured to the sleeping girl.

"She's going to be fine. Her wounds weren't as bad as they looked. I only had to stitch up a few deep cuts, but I was able to just bandage the rest up. She was also suffering from dehydration and mblood loss, but I think she will recover rather quickly."

"I see." Rukia rolled around a syringe that was on the floor. There was a protective cap over the needle, and the main tube was printed with a blue cross and read "medical spirit energy". There were a few more with different colors lying nearby. "Hey, Hanataro, did you use all of these?"

Hanataro nodded. "She seems to have Shinigami abilities, however her reiatsu seems to be abnormally low. I tried injections of several different strengths of medical reiatsu, but in the end her levels always balanced back out to where they are now. I guess it could be that she just has naturally low spiritual energy." After a pause of hesitation Hanataro added, "Rukia-san, there's one other thing that I noticed. Her wounds don't seem to be from-"

"ACHOO!" Rukia's sudden sneeze cut Hanataro off. They both heard a gasp and turned towards the girl.

She was awake. Her eyes were wide and she snapped upright in the futon. She seemed to be in a panicked state as she looked around the room.

There was a tense silence before Hanataro attempted to greet the girl, hoping it would calm her nerves. "Uhh…. Good morni-"

The girl suddenly jumped to her feet and ran towards Hanataro, picking up a scalpel from his supplies on her way. Hanataro's eyes went wide and he backed himself away from her.

"W- Wait! Hold on! Hold on! You need to calm down. Aghhh!" He cried out as his back bumped the wall behind him making any further retreat impossible. The girl advanced with great speed and held the scalpel up to his throat.

"What did you do with my Zanpakuto?" The girl hissed. "You, girl!" she snapped at Rukia who was stunned with shock. The strange girl emitted a slight purple aura of reiatsu as she held the scalpel so it was pressed dangerously to Hanataro's skin. "Bring me my Zanpakuto and let me leave, or I'll kill him."

Rukia knew nothing of the girls Zanpakuto, but she knew that her own, Sode No Shiraiyuki, was in the closet on the other side of the room. Calculating the situation frantically in her mind, Rukia knew that if she could get to her sword, she would have the advantage over the girl. Disarming her of the scalpel with a sword would be the best course of action she decided.

Rukia ran to the closet where her sword was stored, but on the way her foot tangled in the strap of Hanataro's medical bag and she fell to the floor with a thud. The girl snarled when Rukia fell, knowing the sound was loud enough to draw the attention of anybody nearby. Rukia saw the girl flash a cold glare in her direction, and for a second she feared for Hanataro's life, but then a sound caught her attention. There was no doubt about it. With her ear pressed to the tatami floor, Rukia could hear the clear sound of approaching footsteps. Remarkably, the other girl also heard them and lowered the scalpel. Suddenly she was running around the room, searching for another exit and in a split second she was prying open a window. Despite it being high off the ground, she still seemed determined to jump and make an escape.

"Is this what you're looking for?"

The girl stopped before jumping and turned toward the sound of the familiar voice. Her eyes were full of rage and she bared her teeth. There, standing in the doorway was none other than the man who had knocked her out earlier. His face was emotionless and unreadable, and in his hand he held a sword. Immediately, the girl recognized her Zanpakuto and against her better judgment, she charged at him. She knew that he was strong and could easily defeat her as she was without a weapon, but she hoped she would be able to use her speed to somehow take back what was hers. There was no room for doubt. She needed her Zanpakuto.

The girl threw many attacks at the taller man, but he was able to block them all using a single arm and her own sheathed sword. She felt like she was being taunted when he used her own weapon against her and she yelled with each attack as he seemed to not be giving any effort at all to evade her. He was underestimating her, and her attacks grew less controlled as her irritation grew. Deciding she needed a new tactic, the girl aimed a kick at Byakuya's left side, and just before it made contact with his blocking arm she pulled it away and swiveled around to land a firm punch in his right shoulder. The force of the blow caused Byakuya to take a few steps back and he gave a look of aggravation at the fact that she got a hit on him.

Deciding that it was about time to end the girls struggle, Byakuya held his hand out, palm towards her face, successfully stopping her mid attack. "You will stop this at once, or I will stop you myself."

Once again acting with violence, the girl growled at the hand he held just inches from her face and snapped, attempting to bite it. Byakuya was able to retract his hand instinctively before it received any damage and considered his next move. After he made up his mind he stared intently at the enraged girl and said one word.

"Hakufuku."

Before she knew what was happening, the effects of the Kido spell began to make her dizzy. She stumbled around trying to stable herself but her knees gave out and she collapsed to the floor as the full effects of the Bakudo caused her to black out.


	9. Part 06

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

.

**Part 06**

The girl awoke to find the unfamiliar room spinning around her. She held her head to try to balance herself out before looking up at her surroundings again. She was seated in a chair that was placed in the center of the room, and she quickly realized that she was restrained with several Kido spells and couldn't move. One took the form of a chain and was wrapped around her so that she was bound in her chair, and another was a semi-transparent cube shaped shield that was encasing her and the chair.

The large room she was in was almost completely empty. The only things in there were a few wall decorations, and a big, aged looking chair at the head of the room. There was no sign of any of her belongings, and she was dressed in simple, white robes. There was a very large set double doors in the back of the room behind the girl, and she took notice that those doors seemed to be the only way in and out of the room, not counting the tiny slits of windows that appeared to be about seven or eight feet off the ground.

She could hear the muffled sound of voices from behind the doors and she felt the spiritual presence of several strong Shinigami seeping into the room. The girl started feeling beads of cold sweat form on her tense body. She knew that there was absolutely no way to fight off so many Shinigami, even if she were to use the full extent of her power. On top of that, she was bound and didn't have her Zanpakuto, plus there was only one exit. Panic set in faster than she could register what was going on and she felt like she was going to have an anxiety attack. There was no escape.

The Kido chain was coiled firmly around her midsection and hands, preventing much upper body movement, so she used her feet to quietly scoot the chair closer to the wall of the square barrier. When she was close enough to reach it she tested it with a poke of her foot. Nothing happened, so she pressed her foot to it and pushed forcefully but it remained resolutely in place. She scooted in even closer and began kicking at the box that confined her. She felt tired and weakened with every burst of power she exerted and figured after a few kicks that the chain Kido had some sort of reiatsu suppressing power. She gathered her energy for a few moments before she forced as much spiritual energy into a single kick as she could. The cube barrier cracked for a split second before healing itself right up again, and then everything grew dead quiet. The flare of energy caught the attention of the Shinigami behind the doors and their discussion stopped as they took notice of the commotion she was making. The girl internally slapped herself for the stupidity of her last move.

The doors cracked open and a Shinigami peeked inside, then he retreaded behind the doors where she could hear him announce "She's awake."

The doors swung open as if in slow motion and several Shinigami filled into the room, creating two single file lines, one on either side of her. Of the people that entered, the girl recognized the two men who she encountered back in Rukongai. First the man who looked to be wearing some sort of wacky makeup, and then the one with long black hair who had successfully knocked her out in battle twice now. She made a point send them both angry glares; then she noticed that the black haired one still had her Zanpakuto and chose to hatefully stare him down the entire time he made his way to his assigned spot. Byakuya felt a shiver hit him under her cold gaze, but he paid her no mind.

One of the Shinigami walked all the way post the lines and sat in the chair in the front of the room. His position lead the girl to the conclusion that he was the one in charge. There was no mistaking, this man was the legendary Shigenkuni Genryusai Yamamoto. The first captain and head of the Gotei . He basically outranked everyone except the Soul King and everyone knows of how powerful he is. She had expected him to be an aged man, but she really hadn't expected this. How could this guy lead the most powerful armed force in all of soul society and look like he could be the grandparent to most of the other captains? He looked a lot more feeble than she would have imagined, but his spiritual energy was a clear giveaway of his power. She could feel the air grow thick with the power once he entered the room, even with the reiatsu reducing Kido that remained uncomfortably coiled around her body.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Yamamoto motioned the two Shinigami at the back of the room to shut the doors behind them. Then one of them stepped forward and brought a huge, old book over and stood by Yamamoto. Yamamoto watched as the Shinigami flipped the gigantic book, then he nodded and looked up at the girl. "I am Captain Yamamoto Genryusai of the Gotei. State your name."

"Haruka Takani" she told the truth because just her name could hardly reveal much about her. Not many people knew her by name.

Yamamoto waited as the Shinigami flipped through the pages of the book, then upon finding a certain page, he handed the book over to the head captain. "It says here in the soul archive that you belong to the 63rd district. Is this correct? What were you doing all the way in the 72nd district?"

"We lived in the 63rd a few years back, but then we moved…" She spoke quietly, hoping that her information wouldn't be heard by more people than necessary.

Yamamoto considered her words for a little bit. "When you say "_we_", who else are you referring to?"

She cringed in recoil. She really didn't want to be getting into this subject. "Umm… My family and I?" She mentally slapped herself again for not sounding more sure of herself.

"Where they with you at the time of the attack?"

Haruka knew where this topic was heading, but she was already thinking of a way safely around it. "Yes." She responded, sounding more firm this time around and looking into the captains eyes.

"What were the names of the people who were with you?"

Haruka broke eye contact and shifted nervously. She wasn't prepared for such a question and didn't know what she could say.

The captain commander waited a little longer for an answer, watching the girl squirm under the gazes of all of the captains, before finally giving up. "I'm not trying to intrude into your personal life here. Could you at least give vague descriptions for identification purposes?"

Haruka nodded slightly and tried to remember what those people had looked like. She was normally considerably observant, but the period of time she saw them for was short, and the given the circumstances at the moment, it was hard to recall such unimportant details as physical appearances. She could only remember the most basic details, but thankfully that was enough. "Three were male. One older, with grown out grey hair, the other two were middle aged; one was tall with a short blonde haircut and the other was brunette with green eyes. And... there should have been one woman. She was mid-sized, with wavy hair and an old dress with a work apron over it…"

Yamamoto nodded slowly with every description given and closed his eyes. "All of the people matching those descriptions had been found in the same area as you, and they have all been pronounced dead at the scene."

Haruka said nothing and averted her gaze to her feet. The room fell silent once again.

"May I leave now? I would like to pay my respects to those who have died…"

"I'm afraid we have more business to discuss with you, and so you most likely need to stay here for a while before you can return to Rukongai."

"I… Didn't I just lose… all of those people? I can't even say goodbye? I have nothing more to offer you, and these chains are really uncomfortable… Just... Release me."

Some of the captains seemed sorry, sending her sad looks, but Yamamoto seemed unaffected.

"We can not let you leave." He spoke with no gentleness in his tone.

Haruka felt like a bug trapped under a cup, just waiting to be killed. She was beginning to become overcome by her emotions.

"Let me go!" she cried out, all other feelings being taken over by a sudden anger. "What do you want from me? First you send one of your men to all but kidnap me, stick me in a freaking tiny box and attack me with questions when I have barely had time to absorb the news of the _deaths _that you just so suddenly forced on me! I don't have any clue what you expect from me! You took my stuff from me and restrained me like I'm some sort of murderer! I'm not the murderer here!" Her voice escalated to a yell and she glared at the head captain with hate. "Just leave me alone!" She began to thrash in her seat and struggled against the Kido restraints.

"Stop your struggle!" Yamamoto ordered. "Swallow all of your personal feelings for the time being. We must figure out what happened to your town so it won't happen again. Can you not see the severity of the situation? We must ensure that everyone in Rukongai is safe."

Haruka Froze at the words and her eyes snapped open widely. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Y-You- Don't give me that shit!" She screamed out violently. "You don't care what happens to anyone living outside Seireitei! You're all a bunch of stuck up fools! It's your fault! For so long- Everyone is dying! It's all your fault!"

"SILENCE!" Yamamoto roared and raised his spiritual Pressure to stop her from continuing. She let out a strangled cry as his reiatsu easily overcame her own and crushed down upon her with so much power that even some of the other captains cringed. The pressure was so intense it felt like the air was being stolen from her; like her lungs would collapse in on themselves, and at the same time like a blade were running her through. The pain was so sharp that her hearing failed her. She couldn't tell if she was crying out or not. She couldn't tell if she was even able to produce a sound.

In a short while Yamamoto let up on his spiritual energy and continued, his voice holding a new edge. "You _will _answer all of our questions with complete honesty, even if we have to… find a way to _persuade_ you to give us what we need. After that we will decide what to do with you."

Haruka remained limp in the chair, not making a single sound besides her heavy, unsteady breaths. A thin sheen of sweat covered her skin. She was slouched over with her head down, but her eyes were wide and her body was visibly shaking, either from fear or frustration.

Yamamoto motioned Byakuya forward and took the sword from him, holding it up. "This was found where you and the others had fallen. To who does, or did it belong to?"

Haruka slowly looked up through the strands of hair that had fallen over her face. Her head was pounding and her throat felt sore from yelling earlier, but she took a steady breath and tried to find her voice. "That's mine."

"This is a Zanpakuto. I can assume you are a Shinigami?"

She said nothing.

"All people with Shinigami abilities of any sort are required by law to register for recognition from Seireitei and Central 46. You are nowhere in the registry."

"I was unaware." She answered quickly.

Yamamoto grunted in what looked like annoyance. "No matter, we will add you to the registry at once. Now, let's talk about your abilities. Your Zanpakuto is rather large for someone with such little reiatsu, such as yourself."

Haruka looked offended, but wasn't able to retort before Yamamoto continued.

"Do you have any formal education or training?"

"All of my basic education and training was either taught to me by my family, or self-taught. I have lots of books that I devoted myself to studying."

"To what extent have you been able to access you Zanpakuto's powers?

"well… I know its name if that's what you're asking." Haruka tried to keep her explanations short and vague, but the head captain pressed for more details.

"Have you achieved Shikai? Bankai?"

"Only Shikai."

"What are the powers of your Shikai release?"

Haruka could hardly believe they were actually asking her about this. "Isn't that a bit personal?" she hissed. Why had they suddenly become so thorough about everything? Was it because of whatever people were saying had happened back the previous winter? Was there some sort of security breach that happened within the Seireitei? She looked up to see Yamamoto with a stern glare fixed on her, letting her know that he wouldn't take that for an answer.

"I… I ummm… don't really know…"

"What was that?" He urged her to speak loud enough for everyone to hear.

She quietly growled to herself. This guy was really pushing her… "I said I don't know what my Shikai does. I have been able to release it a few times, but I can never control it enough to use it. Last time I tried to use it, a lot of people ended up injured."

Yamamoto seemed somehow unconvinced, but moved on anyways.

"Are you able to perform Kido?"

"Not really. I'm not good at that sort of thing. I've only been able to learn a few low level incantations."

Yamamoto inclined his head and handed the girls Zanpakuto back to Byakuya. Next Mayuri Kurotsuchi stepped forward, handed Yamamoto a small bag, and went back to his place in line.

"Captain of the 12th division found this shortly after you and the others were discovered. Does it look familiar?"

"If I said it was mine, would you steal that from me too?"

"We will return all of your belongings to you once we have proven them safe."

Knowing she didn't have much of a say in this matter, Haruka turned her head away in disregard. "Sure you will…" she muttered in a sarcastic tone.

Yamamoto opened up the bag laid the items out for all to see. The only things the small pouch contained were a wallet, a necklace, and a hunting dagger. He set the wallet back in the bag to avoid any snarky comments he knew she would definitely make if he went through it. The hunting dagger seemed to catch his attention, however. He removed the blade from its coverings and examined it.

"Why do you carry this?"

Haruka shrugged at his vague question. "Self-defense. Hunting… Cutting stuff?"

"You don't use your Zanpakuto?" he clarified.

"The dagger's just easier to use than a long sword sometimes. My Zanpakuto doesn't really reflect my fighting style, so I tend to not to use it often. The Shikai is a manageable size, but that's not really an option."

When he seemed to be finished Yamamoto tucked the dagger away and reached to put the necklace back but paused when something about it caught his eye. "Is this… A whistle or flute of some sort?"

Haruka tensed a little. "Yeah, it… When I was a kid I used it if I got lost in the woods."

Yamamoto turned the whistle over in his hands and noticed a symbol engraved into the side. It appeared to be a carving of a Doe. He had remembered seeing another such symbol before somewhere from another village that had similarly come under attack by hollows. Back then it had been a bracelet with a metal plate engraved with a lizard. "What does this deer engraving symbolize?"

"Umm… It doesn't really mean anything. It's just there because the whistle was carved from deer antler." The anxiety was starting to get to her again and she fidgeted. "Listen, could you not mess with that too much? It's important. It was a gift…"

Yamamoto looked like he had more to say, but he noticed how the girl was becoming distraught again and decided it would best to skip to the important part. "We only have a little more we need to discuss. What can you tell us about what happened?"

"Nothing. I don't really remember what happened." She said, refusing to even look at him.

"What attacked you?"

"Hollows…"

"You just said you couldn't remember."

"It was hollows. That much is obvious."

Yamamoto looked unimpressed with her answers, but continued anyways. "Have you heard of this type of occurrence happening before?"

"There were rumors…"

"Did they provide any details about why this might have happened?"

"Nope."

"Are hollow appearances regular in your area?"

"No."

"What were you and the others doing when the attack took place?"

"Nothing."

"Where you or anyone else provoking the hollow activity?"

"No! Now can I please leave?!" Haruka whined and struggled against her restraints.

"Stay seated!" Yamamoto raised his voice in warning.

"What do I look like, a dog?!" she snapped back.

Yamamoto let out a frustrated sigh and massaged his temples. Clearly this wasn't getting anywhere. "I guess we're ending this meeting early. We will still need to get back to this topic again some other time. Takani, do you have anyone you can stay with for the time being? Someone employed with the Gotei and living in the Seireitei, preferably."

"No, but-"

"Well then, I shall assign you to a company, and we will find a way to accommodate you as soon as we can. Until then you still need a place to stay, so Kuchiki, will you be so kind as to house her for a while longer?"

"Very well, Sir." Byakuya responded easily.

"Erm. Listen, guys. I, uh, appreciate the offer but I think I'll be able to get by just fine back in Rukongai by myself…" Haruka piped up dryly.

"Nonsense. This is a nice offer. We are giving you the chance to expand your skills and become a _real_ Shinigami. Once you get assigned to a company, you will get shelter and the opportunity to have a concrete job." Yamamoto inquired, trying to make this sound as much in her favor as he could.

Haruka knew there was more to it than that. "You make it sound like I have no choice." She grumbled quietly. "So what's the catch? What is it you really want?"

"There really is no catch in the respect that we would offer you work even if you didn't know more about the attack, but any type of information is too valuable for us to lose. For that reason, should you remember anything and suddenly wish to tell us…"

Haruka got what he was implying. He was trying to make it sound like it she was a valued guest, but in reality they were going to keep her hostage until she spilled everything. She knew she was at a disadvantage and that putting up any further argument wouldn't save her, so she just had to play along for now.

"Fine, whatever you say." She said, defeated.


	10. Part 07

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

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**Part 07**

That night Haruka found herself again in that room that she had nearly leapt from the window of earlier that day. She sat quietly and stared at the wall, her back to the other person in the room. She just sat and thought about how she had gotten into her current situation. First off she was captured, then she was brought to one of the most powerful people in Soul Society and almost killed by his outburst of reiatsu, then she was offered a job as a Shinigami. What a day. She wasn't about to lower her guard and accept the offer to stay though. She knew that they only wanted her there because they would try to get her to help with the investigation of Rukongai. She shuddered at the thought that at any moment she could be apprehended and they might try to force information out of her. They wouldn't resort to torture would they? To be honest, she knew she was being ridiculous imagining what could happen, as she knew almost nothing about how things worked inside the Seireitei, but what she did know was that she needed to focus on getting out of there.

Fighting her way out was no good. She was obviously too weak by herself, and what was even worse is that she still didn't have any weapons. She had gotten her bag with her wallet and whistle back, but they hadn't given her back her Zanpakuto or dagger. They trusted her just as much as she trusted them. At this rate, perhaps the best course of action was to try to gain the trust of somebody, and they would help her. Not likely, but she would go with that and look for any important information that could be useful until she found a way to free herself from the Seireitei. It was a mistake for her to be there in the first place, and she needed to get out, and without attracting too much attention to herself.

Haruka turned to see the person that was left to supervise her. It was the girl she had first saw when she woke up in the unfamiliar room after being abducted. Haruka knew this was a bad place to start, as she had already made a bad first impression when she threatened the life of her friend, but what other choice did she have? At least she seemed like a good natured person.

"So… Ah, this place is pretty big huh? You guys must be rich or something." Haruka tried to awkwardly start a conversation.

Haruka had been quiet for so long that Rukia didn't quite register that she was talking to her at first. Rukia blinked and looked around realizing it was only the two of them in the room. "Oh. Yes, I guess we are pretty well off. I also thought that the Kuchiki manor was over the top when I first saw it."

"You're a Kuchiki; like of _the_ noble house of Kuchiki?" Haruka exclaimed breaking up the silence that filled the room.

"I never did introduce myself did I? I'm Rukia Kuchiki. I heard from Nii-sama that you would be housing here for the time being. You will be staying in the room over, right next door to me… so you can ask if you need anything, miss…"

"Haruka Takani." She sputtered. "Your brother, the man from earlier, is he Byakuya Kuchiki?!"

"Yes, he was the one who brought you here in the first place. I'm sure he meant well though! You looked terribly injured." Rukia tried to justify what had happened. "On the Kuchiki pride, he would never do anything ill natured."

Haruka dropped her head. She was kidnapped. By Byakuya Kuchiki. So much for staying out of a situation that would attract attention.

"Alright, so I really don't know how long I'm going to be staying here, but I don't have any money…" Haruka looked at the floor, embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it! If you ever need to borrow any-"

"Thanks. But in all honesty, I've been taught not to gather a debt."

"Oh… Well, if what nii-sama told me was true, the head captain said he would have no problem hiring you right away."

Haruka didn't respond for a long while, deep in thought. "… To be true… I can't fight. I don't want to have any sort of combat related career right now. I wish I could just… Go back."

"Oh, um actually if it's a more domestic profession you're looking for," Rukia quickly piped up, trying to divert attention away from depressing topics. "I know a few good places to start. I don't have to go back to my division for a little longer, so if you'd like I can go with you and show you some possible jobs."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to take up all of your time that way. If it's just a normal job, I can just go out by myself and look for one."

"There's just one thing…" Rukia tried to word her sentences carefully, afraid of seeming offensive. "About that. The Head Captain thinks it's a good idea to keep an eye on you. You know, just to make sure nothing happens… I'm not too keen on all the little details, but I believe you need to be accompanied outside the walls of Seireitei. Not that we distrust you or anything! I think it's more of a formality than anything else."

Haruka mentally groaned. "Oh…" What a pain. There went whatever plans she had for that idea.

"There are still things to do inside Seireitei though! For example, the 12th division is home of the Research and Development department, and the 4th specializes in medical aid. They are even shorthanded." Rukia brought her hand up to rest her chin in it in a thoughtful way. "So I also heard that Nii-sama said that the Head Captain was going to place you in the 9th division. That's under Shuhei Hisagi. He's the main editor for the Seireiti Bullitin, and they're always asking for volunteers since he's so busy taking care of the company even since Tousen…" Rukia trailed off.

"The Seireitei Bullitin? The magazine? I think one of my friends used to read it. I guess I can just go over there and see if they need any extra help… At least they might have something I could do to pass the time."


	11. Part 08

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

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**Part 08**

Haruka stood outside a door labeled "Main Office". It wasn't too hard for her to find the 9th companies main building despite her lacking sense of direction.

She had never tried to get a real job before, so she didn't really know what she was going to say, but she figured it would only be a temporary thing, so no big deal if it didn't work out. She knocked once on the door and waited. No response. She knocked once more before slowly twisting the doorknob open and peeking inside the room. There were no people inside. '_What's up with that? Isn't it working hours?_' Being the overly apprehensive person she was, she made a quick sweep of the room looking for any security cameras before slipping into the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

She made quiet strides over to the desk in the center of the room. The identification plaque on the desk read "S. Hisagi."

"Well looks like this is the place." Haruka said to nobody in particular. She waited to see if anyone would hear her voice and come into the room to greet her, but in a few seconds, when it appeared that nobody knew she was there, she casually walked around to behind the desk. Glancing around once more for any security devices or hell butterflies, she pulled a drawer open and looked at the alphabetically sorted folder dividers. '_I bet I can find something in one of these drawers. Junk… Just so much junk!_' she though as she rustled through the papers. '_If only I could find a map… I wonder if there's like secret tunnels in or out of the walls. Or even just like, a schedule for the guards, so I know where and when is the most secure… I need to get back. I can't be here! I need to go-!_"

Haruka stopped looking through the drawers of useless documents when she heard a slight thumping noise. She held her breath and listened. She easily heard the approaching sound of footsteps. She slid the drawer shut and briskly walked back to the front of the desk, sitting down in a chair facing it just as the door opened. She waited until they stepped into the room before turning and seeing who it was. She didn't anticipate seeing a young looking man with spikey hair and tattoos to enter the office.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I was looking for Hisagi. When I saw nobody was here I thought I had come to the wrong place." Haruka said in a friendly tone.

The man stood in the doorway for a second, seemingly evaluating her, and her gaze on him doing the same. He ran a hand through his messy black hair. Who in the world even is this? This guy had rolled up sleeves to reveal tattoos on his biceps, and he even had tattoos on his face. A scar on one side and… '69'? Haruka involuntarily twitched a little. Agh, this guy might be weird… She had many questions about his choice of fashion, but decided it would be better for her to save them for later. She was always told that good first impressions were important after all. Especially in her situation.

"Oh, you're already here. Sorry I didn't think you'd be so early." The man said as he walked to the opposite side of the desk. Haruka looked at him, confusedly.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm Hisagi. This is my office. You're Haruka Takani, right?"

"What… Oh okay. Yes, but how did you know that I would come here?" Now she was slightly weirded out. There weren't people stalking her, where there?

Hisagi put a pair of reading gasses on and shifted through his papers, upon which finding one he needed, opened a draw and swept the rest of the papers messily into it. He laid the one paper down on his now clear desk. "I heard that you might be joining this company. Congrats on that. I figured you'd show up sooner or later to get information and whatnot."

After getting over the initial surprise of having everything already worked out, Haruka respectfully bowed her head. "Umm. Thank you Fukutaicho. Actually, there's something else I'd like to talk to you about. Erm, it's ah… A request actually."

"You can just call me Hisagi if you'd like. So, what can I help you with?"

Haruka bowed deeper and not knowing how to bring up the subject she blurted out "I need a job."

Hisagi averted his attention to one of the drawers and shuffled through the papers. He pulled out a few and slid them over to her on the desk surface. "Okay, there."

"What?"

"Oh, hang on one second…" Hisagi ungracefully yanked another drawer open and pulled out a pen, setting it down by the papers. "Alright. There. Just sign here, and here, and fill these out."

Haruka gave a questing glance upward, then sat up straight to read the highlighted headings on the papers. Her eyes went wide. "It can't really be that simple right?"

"Yup. Just these forms. I've already got pretty much everything else arranged. It's sure great to have new recruits that are eager to help out. Usually all of the new graduates want to go straight to fighting on the frontlines, be we really need all the help here we can get. Especially after the war, things here have become a lot more hectic.

"Okay…" Haruka gave a slow nod. "Hisagi-Fukutaicho, If you don't mind my asking, what positions are available? What exactly will I be doing if I work here?"

"Well, we already have writers, designers, and I'm the head editor, but it's been hard finding good news to write about lately. We are looking for someone who can go searching around for interesting stories. Just take notes on current events and other news. Really, just anything interesting for us to include in the Seireitei Bulletin."

"That sounds simple enough. I can start as soon as you would like me to. I don't have anything else to do anyways. The only thing is I still don't quite know my way around, so…" Haruka shrugged.

"Not a problem. You won't have to go anywhere for your first task. We have an available desk in the main press room. We have a stack of papers there. They are mostly reader submitted ideas and questions. I would like for you to sort through them, pick out a few good or frequently asked questions and put them together. We need to use them to put together an interview for well-known people in Seireitei. Feel free to start as soon as you please. Deadlines are always approaching fast."

"Alright, I can start right away." Haruka said, just being relieved that everything seemed simple thus far.

As she turned to leave Hisagi called after her. "Oh, and one more thing Takani! Try to use good judgment when choosing out questions. Remember that we will actually be asking them to people in person. You'll soon find out that many readers tend to think it's funny to anonymously submit… less than appropriate and rather sick suggestions. We don't need any more people getting hurt because they tried to ask Byakuya Kuchiki if he'd rather be a herm or have two dic-"

Haruka quickly left the office, closing the door behind her before he could finish that sentence, and called out behind her, "Right, got it!"


	12. Part 09

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

.

**Part 09**

Just as things were starting to fall in to a peaceful rhythm it finally happened. There was always that feeling in the pit of her stomach that wouldn't go away. She always knew in the back of her mind that this wasn't something she was looking for. It was something she has already come to terms with giving up. She couldn't tell if the feeling was guilt, or anxiety, or homesickness, but it was always there. No matter how much she seemed to be fitting in, it wouldn't go away.

She hated that feeling, but at the same time she was sure she would never forgive herself if somehow the feeling did go away.

When she heard it, it was already nightfall. She had been walking back from the 9th division to the Kuchiki manor where she continued to stay. The familiar high-pitched hum pierced through the silence of the frigid night air. It fell deaf to all of those besides those who had a trained ear.

Ah, yes. It was only a matter of time.

The sound called her out of the false reality she had been forced to hide herself away in, and she mechanically walked forward.

The thick surrounding wall of Seireitei made of seki-seki made it close to impossible to sense any reiatsu from the other side, but the whistling told her all she needed to know.

Haruka took a deep breath to calm herself, but her nerves uncomfortably tingled and her palms became sweaty. She struggled to keep her spiritual pressure output constant so that nobody could tell what was happening to her, but worried that her slight trembling would give her away. If confronted about it, she would blame it on the cold.

She continued to walk on the same path she had originally been treading on before she heard the rouse. Casually, she continued in the same direction that had taken her back for the past three nights. She walked on, but inched closer to Seireitei's outer wall until she was walking alongside it, following the inside perimeter back.

Haruka looked upward and acknowledged that most of the wall guards were watching the outside more carefully than where she was walking along the inside. Only one or two noticed her and watched her as she continued on her way. She simply offered them a smile and greeted them with a "Good evening!" and went on at a speed that suggested she had no place in particular to be, but at the same time she wasn't about to stop and chat.

She came to a spot on the wall where there was the direct cover of a large tree growing alongside the walkway. She slowed her pace and went beside the large tree trunk, surveying the two closest guards, one of which had his view directly obstructed by the foliage, the path for any passerby's, and the air for hell butterflies. Clear. She let out a shaky sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall. Everything seemed to be still and quiet. Maybe unnaturally so.

Haruka filled the quiet space around her by softly humming out a song to herself. She reached an arm behind her and tapped the rhythm into the wall she leaned on. The one wall that separated her from escaping to the outside world. She reached a high note in the tune, then stopped. She pushed back further leaning into the wall and turned her head to the side and pressed it to the frozen concrete. She closed her eyes and listened.

Silence.

The night was silent. Even the bugs seemed to be gone. She listened harder. She could hear her own pulse. Nothing other than that.

Silence.

She concentrated her hearing so hard she could hear a nonexistent buzzing created by her imagination. She quiet made her feel faint and sick, and those two seconds she waited surely felt so maddeningly long, the anticipation made her more anxious than ever. Until finally

*Tap Tap-Tap… Tap Tap-Tap-Tap*

The beat repeated back to her. Haruka Let her arm fall limp to her side.

She pressed her palm to the bumpy surface of the wall and slid it down until she found a spot with loose rocks. She reached a little further down, and pressed one brick in. It slid back; the scratching sound it produced greatly magnified in her uneasy mind. It suddenly gave way and she heard it land on the floor on the other side of the wall with a dull rustle of dead leaves. She waited again.

More rustling. Her heart was in her throat. She had to struggle to swallow her feelings down so she could simply breathe.

"Haruka-chan? Is that you?" The silky female voice snaked through the cracks in the wall and sent a shiver down Haruka's spine. The deep feminine voice of Itoko Okuyama. It had been a while since she heard that voice; since she heard any of their voices, yet they couldn't be forgotten. They raced around her mind at night as she fell asleep now. Ghosts of those voices produced by her memory.

Haruka's stomach dropped. She swallowed and carefully piped up "Yes, It's me. I-Itoko-san? Is anyone-?"

"Everyone lives. You should be more worried about yourself."

With emotions running high, Haruka folded her trembling hands in front of her and took measured breaths to prevent herself from letting go. She had to hold back. Tears were never tolerated in the past, and they would hardly be tolerated now.

The voice on the other side of the wall spoke to her. "Don't you go getting all worked up now. The guards will know I'm here, then we will both be in trouble. Listen though, you must come back. You have to find a way out of there. We're nearing the final stages of Shougo's plan, and you still play a key role in our success."

Haruka stiffened. "Even now… He plans to continue with this mission?"

"Yes, we've already come this far. The most we can allow for is to set aside a few extra days' time, but otherwise we will press forward accordingly. If you can't return here by them I'm afraid we will have no choice but to-"

Haruka clenched her fists to her sides. "I understand… I know. I have tried, but they put me under intense security here. I think that over time they will lighten up on how much they feel they need to watch me. I'll figure something out. Until then, you mustn't… You can't attack! You've seen what happens! So many people last time; you just can't allow them to-!"

Itoko's voice quietly hushed her, knowing her tendency to lose her calm. She spoke to Haruka coolly "Aright. That's enough for tonight Haru. I'm going to leave now. Someone will be sent to contact you again. Know that no matter what you wish to do, you can't do anything from in there. You have no choice."

"No, Wait!" Haruka desperately rasped out. "The shinigami. They're strong; you already know, but they're even stronger than you think! And there are lots of them. You are making a dangerous mistake Itoko. Shougo may be underestimating them if he thinks he can just…" She realized what she was saying and tailed off. She knew she had no right to be speaking like that, but even still…

Itoko Okuyama, the voice just as calm as it was in the beginning, took minute, then spoke some parting words. "Of course, we already know. They are strong, or else we wouldn't be trying so hard. They may be strong, but we are strong too, and what they don't know is that we continue to grow stronger with every day that passes. Don't allow yourself to forget that."


	13. Part 10

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. All credit goes to Kubo for his characters and themes. The only things I own are the characters that I designed, and this story._

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**Part 10**

Shuhei Hisagi looked up from the pile of papers that he was working on and stared blankly at the clock on the wall. He swore that the clock was screwed up in some way. It always went slowly when he was working. He considered finishing the remaining forms; he could do it in 10 min, all he had to do was put his mind to it and concentrate. No problem! But…. Nahhh. He sighed and flung his glasses down on the desk. '_That should do it for one night._' He stood, finally giving up. '_It's just about time to go._'

Hisagi got up and walked to the door, prepared to lock up for the night but on his way out he noticed the lights in one of the office rooms was still on. He mumbled something about incompetent employees not knowing how much this kind of forgetfulness runs up his electricity costs and stalked over to shut the lights off. He gave a slight start of surprise when he entered the room because he noticed someone still there working. "Takani-san? Didn't I tell everyone that work would end an hour early today?"

Haruka noticeably jolted when Hisagi suddenly addressed her from behind. "Oh Geez! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"

"Sorry! I didn't think anyone would still be here so I didn't announce myself. What are you doing here anyways?"

Haruka flipped the page she was examining down to under the stack of other papers. "I was just figuring out some questions to ask for the interview articles. I already found who is most popular, who most of the reader asked questions go to, and the basic set of topics I will cover in everyone's interviews, but I thought it would be interesting to include a few that are unique to each person. You know? Add some diversity or something. I just wanted to finish this up before leaving…"

"Uh huh. Yeah. You could always finish later you know." Hisagi said, not really paying much attention to what she was talking about. "Don't you want to go hang out and stuff? I mean, It's almost Christmas."

"No, It's alright. You can go. I'd prefer to stay behind and-"

Hisagi dramatically sighed, cutting her off. "You shouldn't work so hard." '_It makes me look like a slacker_ _to_ _be outdone by the newbie'_ He internally thought to himself and pulled her up out of her seat. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Ehh?! Get out? Wait, to where?!"

He started pushing her out toward the door. "Just come. I'll take you somewhere, You'll have fun."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"… A bar?"

Hisagi looked proud of himself, and Haruka looked Skeptical.

"Is it okay to be here?"

Hisagi let out a hardy laugh patting her roughly on the back. "Don't worry! You're with me! Remember, not only am I a lieutenant, I'm also acting captain for the time being."

Haruka grumbled a bit and wondered where he suddenly got all of this energy from when he seemed so tired at work not ten minutes ago. "Yes, okay… But why a bar?"

"There's a big party here tonight! A bunch of people I know are gonna be here. Go introduce yourself and hang with someone! There's a ton of nice people I could introduce you to. Come on, let's not just stand outside all night!" He said as he held the door open.

As soon as she walked through the doorway the smell of alcohol hit her with a force stronger than the combined spirit energy of everyone in the place combined, and there were quite a few people. Actually, there so many people that Haruka felt thoroughly intimidated, but Hisagi didn't notice and led her in anyways.

"Let's see here. There's Shunsui-Taicho, heh, he already looks like he's drunk. No surprise there. Right, and there's Omaeda-Fukutaicho, and Hinamori-chan is here too. She's been a bit down lately, but she's always looking to make friends. Izuru is the mopey looking one over there. You could talk to him if you wanted to. He's a nice guy, but he's kinda depressing. And next to him is… Oh! There's Matsumoto! I gotta go say hi! You should go talk to Momo or something!" Hisagi cried back to Haruka as he made his retreat to see the busty vice-captain.

Haruka stood dumbly in the middle of the place and took a minute to review everything that had just happened to her. First, her boss snuck up on her while she was trying to look up some information, brought her to a party on zero notice, then ditched her in the middle of a room filled with people she didn't know. Great. She shifted on her feet uncomfortably while desperately trying to think of her next plan of action. If only there weren't so many people here, she might be able to find a way to sneak out. Yes! That would be it! She could just quietly make her way to the door and escape to freedom!

She slowly glanced around and saw people staring at her. Perfect. People already started to notice her stupidly standing by herself doing nothing. She desperately glanced in Hisagi's direction, hoping for some help, but his attention was clearly focused on other matters. She remained in place, still not knowing what to do, and soon she heard a few people around her whisper and talk amongst themselves.

"Hey, isn't that the girl the captains found in the forest?"

"That's her? I thought Kuchiki saved her from a bear turned hollow or something."

"What? No way! I heard she was bruised, cut up, and naked when they found her. She was probably raped. I hear it happens a lot around those parts of Rukongai."

"Go talk to her and just ask dipshit!"

"You don't just ask about that kind of stuff! And well- I mean she's kinda cute but she's totally flat-chested."

Okay, that was it. She had heard quite enough. Haruka clenched her jaw and stiffly walked away. She muttered to herself about drunks and people making assumptions and wandered towards the back of the room where it was less crowded. There she saw the girl that Hisagi had suggested she introduce herself to. She was sitting alone looking out a window and musing to herself about how it looked like it was going to rain.

Haruka gently broke the girl from her trance by asking "Excuse me, but you're Hinamori-Fukutaicho right?"

Momo gave a warm smile. "Yes, that's me. Can I help you with something? I saw you looked a little lost back there. Are you looking for someone?"

"No, not really." Haruka shrugged. "Or rather, I don't really know many people here."

"Nobody from your division showed up?"

"Actually… I'm kind of new."

"It's okay. I think you'll find that people in Seireitei are actually very nice if you know where to look. I'm sure you'll have plenty of friends in no time, miss…"

"Oh! I'm sorry. It's Takani. Haruka Takani."

"Takani-san…? Hmmm." After a second of though, Momo's eyes lit up. "So then, you're the Takani-san that people have been talking about lately?"

Haruka fell dead silent and the life drained from her face. "S-so people really have been saying stuff about me…" she muttered in defeat.

Hinamori, taking note of this reaction, quickly offered "Eh! I mean, nobody's been saying anything _bad_ per-se. It's just that word spreads quickly, a-and this has been one of the most significant events since…" Momo came to a halt in the middle of her sentence and thought for a second before finishing in a hushed voice, "Well, since the winter, when 'that' happened…"

"Huh?" Winter again? Haruka was confused as to exactly what she was talking about, but the last winter seemed to be a recurring thing. She was about to ask about it, but when she looked up she saw that the warm smile had been replaced with a distant look in her eyes. Something had happened to Seireitei. Something that could be important, and Haruka was itching to find out the truth.

She never got around to asking any of her nagging questions though, because a second latter a large hand was placed on Haruka's shoulder, causing her to swiftly turn and see who the offender was.

"Yo!"

Haruka had to look up to meet the face of a tall man with long pony-tailed red hair and tattoos.

"So you're the one eh? For some reason I imagined you to be bigger when she was telling me about y- Itai!" The man lurched forward as someone hit him in the back.

"Hey, Renji. Mind your manners! That's no way to introduce yourself to a lady." Rukia glared upwards as she stepped out from behind him.

"Hmph. Funny coming from someone as un-ladylike as yourself, squirt." Renji taunted.

Rukia punched him in the arm. "Watch yourself. Talking about things like how un-ladylike or short a woman in will end up with you on the floor, beaten up someday."

"Ha! You're only saying that because you're mad that she's taller than you. Look Rukia!" Renji said enthusiastically while pushing Haruka forward. "She's got nearly half a foot on you!"

"Not true you jerk! She's only like three or four inches taller…" Rukia said while crossing her arms.

Haruka finally spoke up and quietly questioned. "Um, Kuchiki-san… Who's this guy…?"

"Oh, this is Renji. We've been friends since we were kids. Back when I was almost as tall as him." Rukia made sure to say the last part loud enough for Renji to hear.

He sniffed and looked off into a different direction, pretending not to hear her.

"So anyways, I didn't expect to see you here Haruka-san. Who are you with?" Rukia said.

"Hisagi-Fukutaicho brought me, but I honestly have no idea what I'm doing here."

"Well Renji and I spent a good 45 minutes here, so we were just about to head back if you want to come with." Rukia suggested.

"Really? Is that okay? I mean, what about him?" Haruka motioned in the direction where Hisagi was laughing loudly, his face now a medium shade of red.

"It's fine. Renji is a vice-captain you can go wherever you want as long as he's here. You could go tell Hisagi that you're taking off with us but…" Rukia looked back in time to see him drunkenly tripping over a bar stool.

"At this rate he'll be so drunk that he'll forget he even brought you here." Renji finished.


End file.
